Disposable sheath for oil filter removal and containment

ABSTRACT

A disposable oil filter containment sheath is provided for use during oil changes for combustion engines. The sheath has a closed bottom, a cylindrical sidewall, and an open top. The resilient sheath is rolled to an initial collapsed position for placement on the bottom of an oil filter mounted on the engine, and it is partially unrolled along the filter. The filter can then be loosened to allow oil to drain into the sheath for capturing a reservoir. After the filter is removed from the engine, the sheath is completely unrolled and tied at the top so as to fully enclose and contain the oil filter and oil. The sheath and its contents are then ready for disposal.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a divisional patent application which claims priority under 35U.S.C. § 120 to U.S. Ser. No. 16/804,333, filed Feb. 28, 2020, hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety, including without limitation,the specification, claims, and abstract, as well as any figures, tables,appendices, or drawings thereof.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a device for use in removing and disposing ofoil filters, and particularly a disposable containment sheath whichrolls onto and encases the oil filter.

BACKGROUND

Combustion engines normally use oil as a cooling and lubricating medium.The oil has a limited life and must be replaced periodically with freshoil. An oil filter on the engine helps extend the life of the oil, butalso should be replaced when the oil is changed. Often, a tool must beused to loosen the filter. Once the oil seal is broken, oil leakage anddripping are common. Some oil filters are located in a position where itis difficult to place a catch pan. The oil also tends to drip onto othervehicle components adjacent the oil filter. Leaking and spilled oil ismessy, difficult to clean up, and presents health and safety concerns tothe person changing the oil, particularly when the oil is hot. Clean upof spilled oil also requires consumable products, which also must thenbe disposed. Thus, the oil changing process entails personal andenvironmental safety issues.

Commercial products are available to assist in removal of the oilfilter. Some such products include reservoirs or channels for capturingthe used oil. Since filters are vehicle specific, and come in manydifferent sizes and shapes, the removal tools are often designed to fitone specific filter size, and are intended to be reusable tools, ratherthan disposable products. These tools also do not fully capture andcontain the leaking oil during removal of the filter.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved device and method forcontaining an oil filter and used oil during an oil change for aninternal combustion engine.

Accordingly, a primary objective of the present invention is theprovision of a disposable sheath to assist in removing an oil filter,collecting used oil, and encasing the oil filter and used oil after thefilter is removed from the engine.

A further objective of the present invention is the provision of arollable sheath that grips an oil filter, contains dripping oil, and canbe closed around the removed filter.

Still another objective of the present invention is a provision of aresilient sheath which eliminates or minimizes cleanup requirementsafter an oil change for an internal combustion engine.

Yet another objective of the present invention is a provision of astretchable sheath which facilitates removal of an oil filter from anengine, captures oil leaking or dripping from the filter and/or engine,and is closed around the filter after the filter is removed.

A further objective of the present invention is a provision of adisposable oil filter containment sheath which is economical tomanufacture, and durable and safe in use.

These and other objectives will become apparent from the followingdescription of the invention.

SUMMARY

The oil filter sheath of the present invention is made of a resilient,stretchable material so that the sheath can be in an initial rolled downconfiguration, and then is partially rolled up on the oil filter. Thesheath has a body with a closed bottom, a cylindrical sidewall, and anopen top. The sheath includes a lower reservoir, with channels in thesidewall to direct leaking or dripping oil to the reservoir. After thefilter is removed from the engine, the sidewall of the sheath is furtherrolled upwardly so to enclose the filter. The top of the sheath can betied to enclose the filter and collected oil for easy disposal.

In use, the oil filter is cracked loose, and then the resilientcontainer is stretched over the bottom of the filter. The sheath is thenunrolled toward the top of the filter, which can then be furtherloosened to allow oil to drain into the sheath and into the sheathreservoir. After the oil has stopped dripping from the filter, thefilter can be fully removed from the engine, and then the sheath isfurther unrolled beyond the top of the oil filter and closed to encasethe oil filter and captured oil. Then, the sheath and its contents canbe disposed of in an environmentally safe manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a conventional oil filter for an internalcombustion engine.

FIG. 2 shows the sheath of the present invention in a position on thebottom of the oil filter.

FIG. 3 shows the sheath rolled upwardly along the oil filter.

FIG. 4 is a top plain view of the sheath and oil filter shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing oil draining downwardly alongthe sheath channels to the lower sheath reservoir.

FIG. 6 shows the sheath fully unrolled and tied shut to enclose thefilter.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken long lines 7-7 of FIG. 3 .

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 2 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An oil filter is designated in the drawings by the reference numeral 10.The oil filter 10 is conventional and can take shapes other than thatshown in FIG. 1 and can have various sizes.

A container or sheath 12 is provided for removal and disposal of theused oil filter 10. The sheath 12 is formed as an integral one-piecebody, and includes a closed bottom 14, a cylindrical sidewall 16, and anopen top 18. The sheath 12 is made of a resilient or stretchablematerial so that the sidewall 16 can be rolled down and unrolled up. Thesidewall 16 of the sheath 12 includes internal channels 20 which allowused oil to drain towards a reservoir 22 in the bottom 14 of the sheath.The exterior of the sidewall 16 may be smooth or textured, or have ribs,nubs or other protrusions 24 to enhance the grip of the sheath 12 by aperson during removal of the oil filter 10 from an engine. The channels20 generally extend longitudinally downwardly to the reservoir 22, whilethe protrusions 24 may have various patterns or directions or shapes toimprove the grip of the sheath 12 on the filter 10. In one embodiment,the sidewall 16 of the sheath 12 is corrugated so as to form theinternal channels 20 and the external gripping ribs 24. The unrolledsheath 12 has a height greater than the height of the oil filter 10, asseen in FIG. 6 .

The upper end of the sidewall 16, adjacent the open top 18, may extendradially outwardly so as to form an enlarged diameter flange or collaradjacent the top of the filter 10, as shown in FIG. 5 , to facilitatethe capture of leaking or dripping oil when the filter 10 is loosened.

To start the oil change process, the filter 10 is cracked loose in anyconvenient manner, from its normal operating installation on the engine.Preferably, the filter 10 is loosened before the sheath 10 is installedon the filter. The sheath 12 is initially in a rolled configuration, asshown in FIGS. 2 and 8 , such that the sidewall 16 can be stretchedaround the bottom of the filter 10. The sidewall 16 is then rolledupwardly along the filter 10 to a position adjacent the top of thefilter 10, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 . The filter 10 can then be furtherloosened to allow oil to drain into the sheath 12 and funnel downwardlyalong the channels 20 into the reservoir 22. When the oil stops drippingfrom the filter 10 and the engine, the filter can be completely removedfrom the engine. Then, the sidewall 16 of the sheath 12 can be unrolledfurther, beyond the top of the oil filter, as shown in FIG. 6 . Then thetop of the sheath 10 can be knotted or tied using any convenientmechanism, such as a zip tie, string, or twine so as to close the sheath12 and enclose or encase the filter 10. Preferably, the oil filter 10inside the sheath 12 is maintained in an upright orientation until thesheath is closed. The sheath 12 and its contents can then be disposed inan environmentally acceptable manner.

Thus, the sheath 12 creates a container for the used filter and oil. Thesheath material is flexible and stretchable, yet tough, tear resistant,and compatible with petroleum products, and functional over a wide rangeof temperatures. The sheath or container 12 eliminates messy oil spillsand provides a safe transport of the oil filter and used oil to adisposal location.

The resiliency and stretch ability of the sheath material allows thesheath 12 to fit various different filters within a range of sizes. Thesheath 12 can be used in a shop environment, or alternatively, in thefield or at the job site. The containment sheath makes maintenance andrepairs easier, quicker, safer, and more environmentally sound.

It is understood that the sheath can be used on other types of filters,such as a fuel filter, which require periodic changing.

The invention has been shown and described above with the preferredembodiments, and it is understood that many modifications,substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intendedspirit and scope of the invention. From the foregoing, it can be seenthat the present invention accomplishes at least all of its statedobjectives.

What is claimed is:
 1. A disposable oil filter containment sheathcomprising: a body having a closed bottom, a cylindrical sidewall and anopen top; the sidewall being rollable from an initial rolled downposition to a rolled-up position; the sidewall being adapted to roll uparound an oil filter on an engine and to capture oil from the filter asthe filter is cracked loose from the engine; the sidewall havinginternal flow channels extending between the top and the bottom throughwhich oil from the engine drains, and a reservoir at the lower end ofthe sidewall to capture oil draining down the channels.
 2. Thedisposable oil filter containment sheath of claim 1 wherein the sidewallhas a height greater than the oil filter.
 3. The disposable oil filtercontainment sheath of claim 2 wherein the sidewall is adapted to enclosethe filter after the filter is removed from the engine.
 4. Thedisposable oil filter containment sheath of claim 1 wherein the sidewallhas an upper end with an enlarged diameter for positioning adjacent atop of the oil filter to facilitate funneling of oil toward thechannels.
 5. The disposable oil filter containment sheath of claim 1wherein the sidewall is externally textured to facilitate gripping. 6.The disposable oil filter containment sheath of claim 1 wherein thesidewall has exterior protrusions for gripping.
 7. The disposable oilfilter containment sheath of claim 1 wherein the sidewall is sized toengage the oil filter.
 8. The disposable oil filter containment sheathof claim 1 wherein the sidewall is stretchable.
 9. The disposable oilfilter containment sheath of claim 1 wherein the sidewall is resilient.10. The disposable oil filter containment sheath of claim 1 wherein thesidewall forms a radially outwardly extending rim around the filter. 11.A single-use container for removing and encasing an oil filter,comprising: a stretchable, rollable body adapted to be rolled from acollapsed position adjacent a bottom portion of the filter, to apartially unrolled position along a sidewall of the filter, to a fullyunrolled position enclosing the filter.
 12. The container of claim 11wherein the body has external gripping projections.
 13. The container ofclaim 11 wherein the body includes a lower reservoir to hold oil spilledfrom the filter.
 14. The container of claim 11 wherein the body includesinternal channels through which spilled oil from the filter flows. 15.The container of claim 11 wherein the body is corrugated for gripping.16. The container of claim 11 wherein the body has a length greater thana height of the filter so that an upper portion of the body can be tiedin a knot above the filter when the container is in the fully unrolledposition.
 17. In combination, an oil filter and a sheath mountable onthe oil filter, comprising: the oil filter has a top, a bottom and asidewall; the sheath has an open top, a closed bottom, and a sidewall;the sheath being initially in a rolled up orientation adjacent thebottom of the oil filter; the sheath being partially unrolled to a useposition wherein the sheath sidewall extends along the oil sidewall, thebottom of the sheath being adjacent the bottom of the oil filter in theuse position and the top of the sheath being below the top of the oilfilter in the use position; and the sheath being further unrolled to astorage position with the top of the sheath extending above the top ofthe filter for closing above the filter whereby the oil filter inencapsulated within the sheath.
 18. The combination of claim 17 whereinthe sheath sidewall has internal channels extending between the top andbottom of the sheath for drainage of oil from the filter to the bottomof the sheath.
 19. The combination of claim 17 wherein the sidewall ofthe sheath has a textured exterior surface for gripping the encapsulatedoil filter.
 20. The combination of claim 17 wherein the sheath sidewallis stretchable to fit different sized oil filters.